The use of surgical staplers in place of sutures is now commonplace. There are a variety of different types of staplers which are employed for various types of operations. For laparoscopic procedures, uniquely designed apparatus are required.
In a laparoscopic procedure, the instruments must fit through a cylindrical cannula into the body cavity. They must be elongated and generally conform to the shape of the cannula and therefore must be generally cylindrical. Such surgical staplers exist.
Due to the nature of laparoscopic procedures, it is undesirable to repeatedly insert and remove instruments from the cannula. The surgeon cannot directly view the organ or area of operation. Therefore, the surgeon must locate and relocate vessels and other body parts which are the subject of operative procedures. When a cystic duct, for example, is sutured and cut, the cystic dust must be sutured or stapled at two locations; then the stapler must be removed and a cutting device inserted to cut between the two staples. This is particularly time consuming, requiring that the stapler be removed and the cutter be inserted and each time the bile duct be relocated.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laparoscopic device which will both staple and cut.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a laparoscopic stapler which will permit the stapler to independently grasp body parts irrespective of the stapling operation.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide for a surgical stapler which will grasp a body part and permit the cutter to be selectively operated to cut the body part when grasped by the stapler. This provides an apparatus which can grasp a body part, staple it, and hold it while it is being cut. Further, the present invention permits this to occur in any sequence.
It is also the object of this invention to enable suctioning and irrigating through a separate channel.